Evander Holyfield Knocked Out Dwight Muhammad Qawi in the Cruiserweight Classic

Billed as “Pandemonium,” the fight matched the pace and combination of Holyfield against Dwight Muhammad Qawi's relentless pressure and infighting. Holyfield (11-0, 8 KOs) stands 6-foot-2½ and relies on his grappling and clean combinations. In this ring dominated the WBA cruiserweight champion, Qawi (26-2-1, 15 KOs), the relentless “Camden Buzzsaw,” who stood 5-foot-6 but made a name for himself by challenging his opponents with relentless pressure, physical contact, and incredible toughness.

Holyfield entered as the WBA's No. 1 contender in just his 12th professional fight. Qawi brought in the championship years after first winning the world title at light heavyweight before moving up to hold the cruiserweight championship. Despite offering more than eight inches of height, the veteran champion has shown time and time again that he can make opponents taller by forcing them into close exchanges.

Holyfield established his jab early and used his height and reach to land a clean combination from the outside. Qawi refused to let him settle into a rhythm, slipping inside and forcing exchanges where he could land hooks to the head and body. Every time Holyfield created space, the champion closed it again.

In the middle rounds, no one was willing to go public. Holyfield had never fought more than eight rounds as a professional, yet he continued to throw combinations despite the oppressive heat inside the Omni, where the arena's air conditioning struggled to control temperatures. Qawi kept moving forward, digging to the body and making the small challenger fight at an unrelenting pace.

Neither one was taken down, however the momentum shifted several times as both received heavy punishment without backing down. Holyfield produced one of his strongest performances during the championship rounds, responding to Qawi's pressure with a sharp combination and finishing the 15th round with the same determination he showed in the first.

After 15 memorable rounds, Holyfield won split decisions with scores of 144-140 and 147-138, while the third judge favored Qawi, 143-141. The victory gave Holyfield his first world title and made him the first member of the 1984 US boxing team to hold a professional world championship.

The war took a toll on the body. Holyfield was hospitalized after being dehydrated and reportedly lost weight during the match, showing the punishing pace both men maintained from start to finish.

Holyfield went on to dominate the cruiserweight division before becoming the undisputed heavyweight champion and one of boxing's all-time greats. Qawi remains one of the most respected champions in the sport, although Holyfield stopped him in four rounds when they met again the following year.

Nearly four decades later, “Pandemonium” remains one of the best cruiserweight fights of all time. In addition to the championship victory, it was a night for Holyfield to prove that he has the heart, grit, and determination that would define his Hall of Fame career.